THE CHALLENGE

Booking a cruise on NCL.com was a long, overwhelming process — multiple steps, complex pricing, and a lack of transparency that eroded guest trust before they ever reached checkout. The goal was to reduce drop-off by making the process feel manageable, and to build confidence through clear, honest pricing at every step.

THE APPROACH

Progressive disclosure was the core design pattern — breaking checkout into three focused steps (Guest Info, Travel Protection, Payment) presented as an accordion flow. Each step surfaces only what's relevant in that moment, reducing cognitive load and making a complex process feel approachable. Price transparency was built in throughout: a persistent price summary keeps the total visible and itemized at every stage, so guests always know exactly what they're paying for and why.

To pressure-test the design, the team conducted on-site user research at the Port of Miami and at NCL's home office — observing real guests navigating the booking process and using those insights to refine the flow before launch.

THE IMPACT

After launch, the redesigned checkout delivered measurable results: a 20% increase in completed bookings, reduced drop-off across the multi-step flow, and improved guest confidence at the point of purchase — validating the decision to lead with transparency and simplicity.